Desert Wind
The Desert Wind People = The Desert Wind people remain mysterious but for the artifacts they have left behind. To date, five separate settlements have been excavated, each fairly homogeneous for the type of materials present, cultural artifacts uncovered, and traces of foods and clothings found. It is estimated that the settlements were abandoned, or possibly buried by natural forces, some 600 to 700 years ago. An enduring mystery to the scholars investigating the settlements has been the as-yet undeciphered scraps of writing on several wooden blocks, a handful of badly damaged papers, and a small collection of objects from the [[Desert Wind Corbant Camp|Corbant camp]] which are presumed to be children's toys. It is completely unknown what these symbols represent, but careful analysis has led current scholarship to believe that they are part of an extinct language. History of Discovery The original discoverer of the first Desert Wind settlement must unfortunately remain anonymous. The initial report to the [[Perean Archaeological Society]] was written by [[Adento Sizzu]], a prominent scholar in his time: : "While visiting a friend in Hafnol, the dinner conversation turned to a rumor about a stone settlement found by a local farmhand whilst he was taking shelter from a desert windstorm. My curiosity was piqued, and the next morning I was able to talk with the boy, and he agreed to show me his findings. I was quite perplexed at the site, after some preliminary digging with no more than my hands and some good hard work, as it was of a style and simplicity I had never before been privy to." Generally, Sizzu has been given the credit for the discovery, a claim he was quick to refute during his lifetime, but one which seemed to stick nonetheless. After publication of the original report describing the [[Desert Wind Ohonta Camp|Ohonta camp]], further expeditions were soon conducted by several groups, and four more settlements were discovered in nearby locations to the first. General Descriptions of the Settlements The five camps, in order of discovery, are: * [[Desert Wind Ohonta Camp|Ohonta camp]] * [[Desert Wind Sapling Camp|Sapling camp]] * [[Desert Wind Corbant Camp|Corbant camp]] * [[Desert Wind Black Shell Camp|Black Shell camp]] * [[Desert Wind Pitted Pot Camp|Pitted Pot camp]] The Ohonta camp is the most south-easterly, being no more than an hour's walk from the edge of the desert. Ten thousand paces due north from Ohonta is the Black Shell camp, which lies east of Sapling and Corbant camps by perhaps a two hour walk. Pitted Pot is to the northwest of these by a short distance. The uniformity of the preserved structures and artifacts is the main reason that scholars ascribe all five settlements to the same culture. For instance, in each camp, there has been found a central cooking pit - as almost no traces of food has been found in the common dwellings, it is believed that the members of each camp took meals communally, a trait not known to be present in any other culture, past or present. Several other cultural markers have been proposed, and scholarly debate has yet to decide which are most likely true or not, but all agree that the similarities between the sites are too strong to ignore. The common dwelling structure, while only preserved in floor plan by observing wall posts and other architectural elements, seems to have been a bit smaller than might be considered comfortable. Either a majority of these people's day was spent outdoors, or they preferred their indoor spaces rather cramped and claustrophobic. In both Corbant camp and Black Shell camp, common dwellings have been found with slightly larger interior quarters, but evidence was found in both cases of more bed posts, likely signifying a larger family, but still residing in a single dwelling. The larger dwelling structure is roughly three times the size of a common dwelling. One such structure has been found in each camp. Speculation has run wild about the use of these buildings, from a common meeting place, to a ritualistic center, to the private dwelling of the communities leader, but lack of archaeological evidence leaves thes ideas as just that - speculation. Discovered Artifacts Buildings Clothing Inscribed Symbolic Objects (Desert Wind Writing) Speculation on the Abandonment of the Settlements Folk Mythologies and Other Speculations =